The strength of a woman

An adaptation of a 19th century play, in the Calcutta of the 1930s, shows us how gender biases that were prevalent then still hold true

Let's face it. The society that we live in treats men and women as separate entities. The roles that are ascribed to the two genders are different. Men, for instance, are seldom allowed to express the human emotion of vulnerability. "Boys don't cry," is the way they are conditioned. But women, on the other hand, are sometimes discouraged from revealing the true strength of their personalities because this deeply patriarchal world of ours would otherwise feel threatened. And this reinforces age-old prejudices that need something as monumental as the #MeToo movement to be questioned.

This has been the case for as long as we have had documented records of history, and was true for nineteenth-century Victorian England as well. That's when British playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote a play called Candida, which tore through the society's hypocrisy when it came to gender stereotypes and biases. One of the male characters, Eugene Marchbank, is portrayed as effete for example, which is what makes him charming. Another one, James Morrell, has his weaknesses laid bare after his veneer of confidence born out of societal acceptance is shattered. And the lead character, Candida, Morrell's wife, is a seductress who, at the end of the day, is the rock that keeps the men from crumbling after being confronted by their own insecurities.

Simran Sudrik

Now, that same play has been adapted in an Indian setting, in the Calcutta of 1939. Morrell, the socialist clergyman in Shaw's script, becomes Joy Bhattacharya, a communist fighting for the country's Independence. Marchbanks turns into Debu Tagore. And the themes that revolved around the Christian church are now seen through the lens of India's freedom struggle.

But, Candida's name remains the same. Jeff Goldberg, who has directed this adaptation, tells us of her, "Women have always been caricatured in almost every line of work or piece of writing. But I think what Shaw did with Candida and Prosepine [another female character] is flesh them out. They are both intelligent women and free thinkers in a male-dominated world. Candida even says at one point that her husband is punishing her for having her own opinion. The gall with which she says that is really important because today — even in the 21st century with the #MeToo movement and the realisation of feminism in a more real way — there are many women who hesitate to say what they feel because they are afraid of how it will be received. And that's something that Candida eliminates. She has this ability to be free-spirited and be unafraid to say what she wants."

Jeff Goldberg

That unbridled courage to be her own woman is what ultimately gives Candida the conviction to make the right decision when confronted by the naive love that Debu has for her, and her devotion to Joy, her partner. The latter realises at the end of the play that behind all his success, there is a woman — his wife. The same holds true for countless men across the world fed on a diet of pomposity that society fattens them with due to their wealth and fame. But with fourth-wave feminism, there is now a sense that a revolution is afoot. Women from all over have sent out a message that it's time for a change. They will take what's their due and won't let patriarchy shortchange them. A play such as this one only helps in furthering that conversation.

On: March 8, 9 and 10, 8 pm
At: The Jeff Goldberg Studio, Links Building, Khar West.
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 300

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